Wow! 29 hours in the ocean partly during a storm! This is such an emotional ride. Brett had to be extremely mentally tough to survive this.

I've found over the years that really enjoy survival stories and this one did not disappoint. However, it was hard to keep the boats straight and all the people who were attempting to rescue him. I'm sure part of it was wanting to include everyone that was a part, but some of the details about all the people we unnecessary or excessive. Overall I"m glad to have read this.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

April 2013, fifty-year-old Brett Archibald was with buddies aboard a surf-charter boat, making a night-time crossing of the remote Mentawai Strait off Sumatra, Indonesia. Ill with severe food poisoning, in the middle of a raging storm, Brett blacked out. When he came to, he found himself in the raging sea, sixty miles from shore. FOr 28 hours Brett tred water, battling the elements, sea life, birds and ghost of his imagination.

This first hand account is well told and interesting. Brett makes it clear that his biggest battle was with his mind, to keep himself motivated to fight on. The account is a testament to sheer will and the ability to face down demons of the mind.

I thank the publisher for a copy of the book.

***** I give this Book a Five Star Review. I would recommend this Book. Thanks NetGalley.

I'm sorry, I have to be honest when I review; I could not get into this one. I felt like if he author got into his story a little bit more first before going into his background perhaps that would have grabbed my attention more.

What a gripping read! Fans of Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken will devour this memoir. Imagine puking your guts out from food poisoning in the middle of the night on a boat during a storm in remote Indonesian waters, losing consciousness and waking up plunged into the sea as your boat sails obliviously away. This was Brett Archibald's fate. He was swept over with nothing but what he was wearing -- shorts and a t-shirt. He was already dehydrated from the food poisoning. How he survived 28 hours was a combo of luck, miracle and dogged determination. The story shifts from Brett's perspective, to his family's back home as they wait on edge about his fate, his friends on his boat as they try to rescue him, and the people on the boat that finally do rescue him. The chances of someone surviving after 10 hours in the water is 1%, yet Brett survived for 28. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review copy.

Couldn't get through this one. My apologies, and thank you for granting advance access.

This is a stunning story of man against the sea when Brett Archibald suddenly blacks out and goes overboard in a storm while on a trip with his buddies to do some surfing on the first night of a 10 day charter in Sumatra, Indonesia. The worst part is that no one notices it and it's not discovered for about 8 hours and by then the boat has traveled a long distance. When Brett comes to in the ocean, choking on salt water, he's in for the battle of his life. A test of will, of endurance, faith, and hope. The book tells about that battle and all of the sometimes odd, yet amazing circumstances that happen along the way. It's quite a story, I found it at times disheartening, moving, terrifying and thrilling. An ARC was provided by NetGalley for an unbiased review. Thanks for reading.

4 Stars for surviving this ordeal! While I will say that this is not the best written book I have ever read, it is a story of survival that I will recommend.

My thanks to netgalley and Thomas Dunne Books for this advanced readers copy.

I was lucky enough thanks to Netgalley and the publisher to be able to review this book. It is an amazing story of courage and sheer determination of a man called Brett Archibald who fell overboard in the early hours whilst his friends were asleep on board. He remained in the water for 28 hours whilst attempts were made to find him. This story had me glued from start to finish. It not only tells the story from Brett but also his family and those trying to find him. A riveting read.